“Less is more” is a phrase that is often bandied about but how many of us actually live like that?
Thinkers and philosophers have long questioned what the simple life is and it is a question that continues to be pondered in the modern world. But with a fast-paced life, filled with constant news, technology and work, it can seem an impossible task to slow down and simplify life.
This is where National Simplicity Day comes in. Here is what we know about the annual celebration of the uncluttered life.
What is National Simplicity Day?
National Simplicity Day is celebrated in the US on July 12 every year to honour the birthday of the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who advocated for having a more simple life. Thoreau believed that by simplifying our lives, we could reduce stress, increase productivity and live more fulfilling lives.
The principles of simplicity stem from a simple idea: less is more. Thoreau said: “If you can’t do more with less, you should simplify.”
He believed simplifying life involved reducing distractions to focus more on important things in life. A simple life requires personal reflection and awareness of all aspects of life to determine what is most important to you.
Who is Henry David Thoreau?
Thoreau had a simple singular belief, that leading a simple life is a conscious and deliberate act.
He was a well-known American naturalist and philosopher who put himself at the centre of his beliefs to test his theories.
He wrote a paper On Living The Good Life after spending two years in solitude at Walden Pond in the US in 1845, living in a cabin. The paper inspired many people to follow a simple, self-reliant lifestyle.
He said: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
He wrote 12 books on the subject and in one of them he describes his simple life in the woods of Concord, Massachusetts where he experimented with self-reliance and a simple life. He believed that people should strive for simplicity, not necessarily for minimalism. He thought there was no point in striving for something that makes you miserable in the end.
He said: “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
How can you celebrate National Simplicity Day?
There are a number of ways to celebrate the annual event, and make your life and home happier in the process.
Tips include decluttering your home, getting rid of things you don’t use or need, reducing commitments for the day and saying no to things that aren’t important to you and spending time in nature, such as going for a walk or just out of the house.
